Christmas Angels
by spottedhorse
Summary: Brass gets a call to a multiple homicide on Christmas Eve. What he finds may change his life.
1. Chapter 1

It was Christmas Eve. For Jim Brass it was just another day at work…or night. After his marriage had gone south so many years ago, he'd started volunteering to work Christmas Eve and Christmas to give others a chance to have the holiday with their family. Other than that small gesture, he was bah - humbug about Christmas. It was no surprise to him when a call came in for a 419. What did surprise him was the location, the local Walmart.

He arrived at the scene, several uniforms already present. The carnage they found shocked even the seasoned veteran. A shooter had entered the store fifteen minutes before closing and opened fire, sweeping the store, spreading death as he went. An associate had made his way to the sporting good section, secured a pistol and ammunition. Then he'd worked his way around behind the shooter and opened fire, ending the shooter's spree. The associate was in the manager's office, shocked.

Jim walked through the store, stepping around the dead. Paramedics were busy stabilizing the wounded and loading them onto stretchers for transport. Others lingered in the lawn and garden section, the only place the shooter hadn't visited. Jim was struck by the irony of these emotionally wounded standing around the various Christmas trees displayed in the area. Christmas wouldn't be a good memory for these people either.

He continued surveying the store. He moved through the toys, many of the shelves now empty after the last minute shoppers had cleaned them out during the day. Walking one of the aisles, he thought he heard a whimper. He glanced at a DB at the end of the aisle. It appeared to be a young woman. There was not doubt that she was dead, however, so she couldn't be making the sound.

Movement caught his eyes. He stepped closer to the DB and leaned over her. There covered partially by the body and partially by the shelf, was a small child. "I need a Paramedic over here," Jim yelled as he rolled the body off the child.

Her small, frightened face looked up at him. Tears had run down her face and dried, leaving streaks. The child was covered in the woman's blood; at least Jim hoped it was the woman's blood. She shrank back from him as he tried to decide how to approach her.

"Hi," he said simply, smiling at her.

Her eyes grew wider, filled with fear. Just then a paramedic arrived. The little girl panicked and started crying. She climbed onto the shelf, knocking toys onto the floor. The Paramedic hesitated. Jim held his hand up to her, her name tag read Stiles. "Take it slow," he warned.

Turning back to the little girl, Jim held out his hand but didn't move closer. Speaking in a quiet, gentle voice, "My name is Jim. What's your name?"

Whimpering again, the little one cried, "My mommy says I'm not s'posed to talk to strangers."

Jim thought for a moment. "Did she tell you about policemen?"

She nodded, "Yeah…."

"Well," he said as he lifted his badge out of his pocket, "I'm a policeman. See, this is my badge." He held it out to her. "Did Mommy say it is okay to talk to policemen?"

"Uh-huh," she said as she took his badge. "You're not wearing the police suit," she stated.

Jim could tell he was winning her over, but he knew he had to take it slow. "The suit? Oh, you mean the uniform like that officer over there is wearing…" he said as he pointed to a uniformed officer near the bikes. "Well, I'm a different kind of policeman. I'm a detective."

"A dective?"

Jim smiled, "yeah, I find things out…like what happened here, for instance."

The little girl looked at her mother. Tears rolled out of her eyes. "Mommy went to sleep."

"Yeah," sighed Jim. "Hey honey, you never told me your name…"

Her big blue eyes looked apprehensive. Finally she spoke, "Angie, short for Angela."

"Well Angie short for Angela, why don't you come out of there? Let's let this nice lady take a look at you. She's kind of like a doctor, you know…."

Angie studied his face carefully. Then she looked at Stiles. Slowly she began to climb down. She stepped in front of Jim and reaching out, handed him his badge. Jim took it carefully, not wanting to spook her. "Thank you," he said tenderly.

Angie glanced over at her mother again and then suddenly climbed into Jim's arms. She wrapped her tiny arms around his neck and glued herself to him. Surprised, Jim hesitated but then put his arms around her, hugging her. Then he relaxed his grip a little and told her, "Okay, we need to let Stiles take a look at you."

Angie gripped him harder. "Don't want Stiles," she said.

"Hey, tell ya what, you sit in my lap and Stiles can check you out. It'll just take a minute."

Reluctantly she loosened her grip and turned toward Stiles. She was propped on Jim's leg with him still squatting. His legs were really beginning to hurt from being in that position for so long, but he was determined not to move. Stiles worked quickly, looking the child over. She nodded to Jim, "she's okay, physically." Stiles stepped away, looking for more patients. "Okay Angie short for Angela, I need to stand up. Hop down so I can get up."

She slid to the floor and then grabbed Jim's leg as soon as he was standing. He looked down at the top of her tiny red head and smiled. Bending over he picked her up, holding her in his arms. Again, her arms went around his neck. They walked out of the aisle, Jim heading for the offices in the back. He spotted Gil Grissom standing near the double doors leading to the back. Gil looked at him quizzically.

"You have a friend?" he said.

"Yeah," responded Jim. "This is Angie, short for Angela." He felt Angie's giggle as he spoke. "Angie, this is Mr. Grissom. He's going to help me find out what happened."

Angie looked up briefly at Gil, but wasn't interested. Her head returned to Jim's shoulder. "Guess you've lost your touch," Jim chuckled as he spoke to Gil.

"My touch?" Gil looked confused.

"With women."

"Oh," Gil said as his eyebrow shot up. "We've got 14 dead, so far. Nine wounded."

"Yeah, including her mom. Did you find the shooter?"

"Over by the furniture department," Gil responded. "His name is Chad Jenkins."

"Any idea why?"

"Not yet. Have you called Child Services?" Gil said as he nodded at Angie.

"No. That's next."

Jim continued back to one of the offices. He sat in a chair and Angie turned to sit in his lap, her head resting against his chest. He pulled his phone out and called the number. A Mrs. Wilson assured him that she would be there in just a few minutes.

"Hey Angie short for Angela," she giggled again, "what's your other name?"

"Douglas. What's your other name?"

"Brass," he smiled. She giggled again. "That's a funny name," she said.

"Really?"

"Yeah, Brass is all shiny. You're not shiny, except for maybe that spot on your head."

Jim grinned. "Yeah, and that spot gets bigger every year. So Angie, do you know where your Daddy is?"

"I don't have a Daddy," she replied. "Mommy said he died. But I don't remember."

"How about an aunt or uncle…or your grandparents?"

"Nope. Mommy said it was just us. That was after Granny told us to leave. Granny doesn't like Mommy."

"Where does Granny live?"

"In her house." Angie snuggled into Jim, demonstrating that she was tired of talking. Jim patted her back, wondering what to do next. He needed to be out on the floor, helping with the investigation. But a part of him was enjoying holding a little girl again. And she seemed to be comforted by his hold on her. He wasn't sure how she would act if he put her down and he didn't think he could bear to hear her cry.

Mrs. Wilson found them like that; Angie curled up in his lap and him stroking her back. "Captain Brass?"

"Yes," he answered.

"Nita Wilson. Is this the little girl?"

"Yeah, Angie Douglas. We found her under her mother. A Paramedic checked her out, says she's okay."

"We'll need to locate her family."

"Sure. Um, she says there isn't any…a grandmother maybe but she doesn't know much about the woman. Says the grandmother kicked her mother out."

"Well, this will take some time. In the meantime, we'll take custody of her. I checked before coming over, all the temporary homes are full. She'll have to go to a shelter."

"A shelter?"

"Yeah, like a group home. She'll be taken care of."

"Oh," Jim was disappointed. "That's a hell of a way to spend Christmas."

"I agree, but we don't have any choice. There's no place else for her to go. So, if you'll put her down, I'll take custody."

Jim started to set Angie on the floor. She tightened her drip on his neck. "Come on, honey….you need to get down."

"No," she cried.

Mrs. Wilson put her hands on Angie's back, "Come on, Angie. I'm going to take you to a special place until we find your family."

"No," she yelled as she fought to hold onto Jim. Mrs. Wilson pulled her away from him. "No, screamed Angie. "I want Jim. I want _my_ Jim," she said, reaching toward him.

Her anguish was breaking his heart. He wanted to take her back, away from the Child Services woman. "It's okay Angie," he said. "Mrs. Wilson is going to take care of you."

"No," she cried. "My Jim. I want my Jim to take care of me." Mrs. Wilson started out of the room.

"Wait," called out Jim. "Since its Christmas Eve and all….well, what I mean is this; couldn't I take her until you find her family?"

Mrs. Wilson stopped and looked at the detective. "Captain, you've not been properly checked out. Foster parents must pass a screening."

"Foster….uh, I don't want to be a foster parent, except temporarily for her. And I am a Police Captain. How much more screening do I need? My job is to protect people. "

"How will you care for her? You do have a job. And what will Mrs. Brass think of your idea?"

"Ah, well….there is no Mrs. Brass. And I'll get someone to stay with her while I am at work. Don't worry, it'll be someone trustworthy." Jim flashed his best smile. He could see that the woman was thinking abut his idea.

Finally she relented and put the girl down. Angie immediately ran to Jim. Picking her up, he asked her," hey, how would you like to stay with me for a few days?"

She hugged him in response. Looking at Mrs. Wilson, he smiled. "Thank you. And I'll get you the information on her mother as soon as I get it. I can even make the trip to her home, if you want me to."

"Thank you, Captain Brass. And…in spite of what happened here, I hope you have a merry Christmas."

"Thanks, you too."

She smiled and then left.

Jim looked at his new little companion. "Now what am I going to so with you while I do my job?" he asked.

She clung to him as he headed for the manager's office, a tiny cubicle at the other end of the hall. He spotted a female uniform and called her over. "Listen, there's something that I need you to do……"

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Please review and let me know what you think:-) Really...reviews instead of Christmas cards this year?


	2. Chapter 2

The uniform, Myers, returned quickly. She had two sets of clothes in hand. Kneeling in front of Angie, she held up the outfits and asked which she liked best. Angie picked one and Myers helped her change. Jim bagged her bloody clothes, wishing his suit jacket could be fixed as easily. He would have to turn it over to CSI too.

Myers had also brought back a coloring book and some crayons along with a teddy bear. Angie put the teddy bear on the desk and crawled back in Jim's lap. Myers grinned. Why would the kid need a stuffed bear when she had a real live teddy bear, anyway? At that moment, Myers thought that's what the Captain looked like; a giant teddy bear. She couldn't recall ever having seen such a tender expression on the man's face; certainly it wasn't his usual look.

Brass hugged Angie and then explained that he had to go talk to some people in another part of the store. "This is Officer Myers," he said. "She's going to stay with you while I do all of that. Then I'll be back and we'll see what we can do about eating, okay?"

Angie looked into his face. "I wanna go with you…."

"I know honey, but I'll get finished quicker if you stay here. Besides, there are so many people out there, I might lose you. I wouldn't be very happy if I lost you."

She looked sad but she agreed to let him go with out her. Once he left, Angie turned her attention to the coloring book. She and Myers sat at the desk, filling in the lines.

An hour later, Brass was still moving around the sales floor, checking with officers and Grissom as new victims were identified and new evidence was uncovered. He turned the corner at the jewelry counter to see Under Sheriff Jeff McKeen standing opposite. Of course, thought Brass, wouldn't want to miss a media opportunity. The two men moved towards each other. "What do you have so far?"

Brass swallowed his initial reaction and began to give the man a run down. "We're still trying to run down an address on the shooter. The one on his license was bogus."

"Yeah, so you don't have anything yet?"

Jim shrugged and looked apologetic. "Nothing to feed the press, anyway."

McKeen walked away, surveying the scene. Jim shrugged again and headed in the opposite direction. Finding Grissom talking to Warrick, Jim stopped. "Anything yet?"

Grissom shook his head. "We've ID'd all the vics and the shooter. He came in through the doors by the bakery and cut across in front of the cashier lanes. Then he moved between the clothing and jewelry and across to the electronics. From there, he went to the toys, where you found your little girl. Then he headed to the back of the store and made his way to the furniture, where he was shot by the associate."

"Well, my guys are finished interviewing all of the witnesses. I'm going to let them go. We have names and addresses if we need to do any follow up."

Grissom nodded in agreement. "Yeah, what a Merry Christmas."

Warrick was looking intently at the detective. "Hey Jim, I hear you have a house guest…"

"Yeah, found her under her mother. I sent some guys to her place to check it out. She, um….seems to attached to me, so ….well, until we find relatives, I'm the babysitter." Jim was looking a little uncomfortable.

"Thought you were calling Child Protection, Jim" Grissom was smirking.

"I did. But the woman….well, there's no place to take the kid tonight. And it didn't seem right, her spending the night in a shelter or something."

Warrick and Grissom exchanged glances. Then Warrick asked, "What about Christmas? I guess she's not getting any…"

"Yeah…I feel bad about that, but all the stores are closed."

"Yeah, the Grinch strikes again." Warrick was shaking his head.

"Yeah, well….guess I'll make another pass…." The detective walked away, headed to lawn and garden to release the witnesses. As he walked away, Grissom and Warrick talked quietly. Then, Grissom pulled his phone from his pocket and made a call. A few minutes later, he was talking with the store manager.

Jim released the witnesses and then continued his trip around the floor. Finally, after another hour, he decided there was no more for him to do until the evidence pointed them in a direction. For all the carnage, it was really pretty cut and dried. A whacko, off his meds or just pissed at the world, had decided to take his frustrations out on the last minute shoppers. He found Grissom again and told him that he was leaving. "I'm leaving Vega here with the uniforms. And McKeen is around somewhere too."

"Already talked to him. We'll finish up and talk to you about it when we have anything. Go take care of the little girl." It would have been customary for the two men to wish each other a Merry Christmas, but somehow the Christmas spirit just wasn't in them.

Jim headed back to find Angie. Officer Myers was still with her and helped pack up the crayons, along with the teddy bear and some pajamas. When Angie saw Jim, her face brightened and she ran to him, "My Jim," she said as she hugged his leg.

Jim picked her up and immediately her head was on his shoulder again. She nuzzled into his neck and then whispered in his ear. "When is Mommy going to wake up?" she asked.

Jim's heart sank. "Well, baby, she isn't going to wake up. She's with your Daddy now."

"Mommy…I want my Mommy," she began to cry.

"I know, honey. I know…." He held her tightly, wishing he could do more.

After a few minutes, she looked at Jim, tears still working their way down her small cheeks. "You stay with me, my Jim?"

"Yeah, my angel, I'm right here." He was losing his heart to her and knew he'd pay for it later. But for now, he couldn't let it worry him. "Why don't we go find some food? And then, it'll be time for bed, okay?" Her head was on his shoulder again. He felt it move as she nodded in agreement.

He walked out, passing Grissom. Angela was comfortably settled in his arms, clutching his jacket. Jim knew he should leave the jacket with Grissom, but he didn't want to disturb Angie, so he kept walking. As they made their way out of the building, Grissom dialed his phone and began to talk.

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Thanks to those who reviewed. Please make use of the little button...it makes my day!


	3. Chapter 3

Jim got to the car before he remembered that she needed a car seat. They turned and headed back into the store. The assistant manager met him at the door with one. "We realized you might need this," she said. "Compliments of Walmart." She followed him to the car and helped him install it in his back seat. Once Angie was settled in the seat, he turned and thanked the assistant manager and then climbed behind the wheel to head home.

Christmas music was playing on the radio and Angie was trying to sing along. Her tiny little voice from his back seat lifted his spirits and he began to sing too. By the time they turned onto his street they were giggling over all the words they fumbled. He pulled into the driveway and wondered what was going on at his house. Catherine's car was parked in front and there were lights on inside. As he looked around, he thought he saw Nick's car across the street. What the hell, he thought.

He helped Angie from the car and grabbed the bag with her coloring book and PJs. They made their way to the front porch and his door opened. Catherine was standing in the doorway. "Welcome home," she laughed.

Angie had been walking beside him, but at the sight of the stranger she almost jumped into Jim's arms, causing him to drop the bag. Grabbing her just in time, he kept her from crashing back down to the porch. She clung to him in a panic and he patted her back, trying to sooth her. "It's okay," he said gently. "This is my friend Catherine…"

Angie peeked up from his chest, glanced at her and then hid her face again. Catherine smiled. "It's okay, Angie. You hold onto Jim, he won't let anything bad happen to you."

"My Jim," the girl said as she nuzzled into him more. Jim just smiled smugly and grinned. Catherine grinned too. She hadn't seen her friend so happy in a very long time. She was sorry so much tragedy had visited this little girl, but Catherine was happy that Jim was the one that was making it better for her.

As they moved into his living room, he realized that it was full of people…and Christmas. Nick and Greg were standing in the far corner. Lindsey, Catherine's daughter was next to the tree that hadn't been there when he left for work. It was a big beautiful tree, full of lights and ornaments that he didn't know he possessed. On the other side of the tree stood Santa Claus, aka Doc Robbins, the red suit fit the coroner perfectly. He smiled and pointed under the tree, which was filled with packages. "Look Angie," he whispered, "Santa made a special trip to see you."

Angie lifted her head timidly and eyed the man in the red suit. Her face brightened. "Santa," she exclaimed. Just then, the front door opened and Gil and Warrick walked in. Both men were grinning. "Merry Christmas," said Gil.

"Merry Christmas," answered the crowd.

Jim looked around the room at his friends, his adopted family. "Thanks guys…" he said.

They all looked at each other in silence for a moment and then Lindsey offered, "we have food too."

Jim smiled. "I thought I smelled good things from the kitchen." He noticed Angie eyeing Santa again though. "Would you like to go see Santa?" he asked her. She nodded nervously. Carrying her over to Doc, who had sat down in a chair, Jim sat her down in front of him. Doc gathered her up and placed her in his lap. "Hello, Angie…ho, ho, ho," he said.

Angie just stared at him. "You're real?"

Al Robbins winked at her and responded, "As real as you are. Are you real?"

She smiled and giggled. She looked from his face to Jim's.

"So Angie, what do you want for Christmas?" asked Santa.

Angie looked thoughtful and then said very quietly, "I want my Mommy to wake up."

Everyone grew quiet. Inside the Santa suit, Doc was trying to think of a good answer, but none came. Finally, he responded. "Well honey, there are some things that even Santa can't do. If I could, your Mommy would be with us right now."

Angie looked sad but still thoughtful. "Then…I want to keep my Jim forever…."

Al looked at Jim who looked stunned. "Well, honey….what about your other family? They might want you to live with them."

She shook her head adamantly. "Don't want them. Want my Jim." She slid off Santa's lap and crawled back into Jim's arms, hugging him tightly. His face revealed the worry on his face. Maybe he had made a mistake, insisting on letting her stay with him. She was becoming too attached.

Just then, the doorbell rang. Warrick opened the door to admit Jeff McKeen. Stepping inside, he greeted everyone. "I hope the criminals are home celebrating Christmas," he joked," because my best people are all here."

"Something I can help you with, Jeff?" asked Jim.

"McKeen surveyed the scene and smiled. "No. Mrs. McKeen and I wanted to help you. But it seems the elves have already been busy." He was looking around the room. "I'm impressed."

They all smiled at him but seemed embarrassed. He continued. "I brought some Christmas goodies that she sent, plus something that we hope will help with whatever expenses you incur." He handed Jim an envelope. "The guys down at the station all chipped in to fill it," he said. "And Vega, Vartann, and O'Riley have all arranged to cover your shifts for the next few days. "You officially are on emergency leave with pay." Jim was shocked. He had expected a fight about taking time off right now and the envelope from the guys was….amazing. Word must have travelled fast. "Well, I'll leave you all to make a happy Christmas for our little angel there. Let me know how the department can help, Jim." He turned and left.

"Wow," said Catherine. "That's….unexpected."

"Yeah," agreed Jim, still in shock.

"Well, let's go get some food, guys," said Catherine.

They all headed for the kitchen. Grissom and Catherine set them selves up as the servers and began dishing up plates. The group spread out around the living room, in chairs and on the floor as they shared the meal. Then Doc, or rather Santa, announced that he needed to get back to the North Pole. The reindeer were waiting for him. He gently patted Angie and told her what a good girl she was. Then he scooted out the door.

Angie began to warm to the gathering in the room. She even left Jim's lap long enough to play a game with Lindsey and Greg. One of the packages under the tree contained Candyland. Lindsey and Greg worked at letting Angie win and she was excited that she had beaten the 'big people.'

Catherine found some Christmas music on the radio and turned it on. Nick started singing along and others joined in. Angie crawled back into Jim's lap and leaned into him. Before long, she had fallen asleep. The others got quieter as he carried her to the guest room. He settled her into the bed and covered her. Then leaning over, he tenderly kissed her forehead. "Good night, my little Angel," he whispered. Then he pulled the door almost closed and walked back into the living room.

"Guys, I….Look, thanks. I wasn't sure what I was going to so about Christmas for her."

"It was Gil's idea," said Catherine. He called from Walmart and had me arrange our helpers. Doc volunteered for the Santa suit. Gil talked to the manager at the store and arranged for the tree and the gifts. Everyone showed up to help put it all together."

"But…how did you get in," Jim asked.

"Greg," she smirked. "He picked the lock."

Jim laughed. "You never cease to astonish me, Sanders."

Greg shrugged and grinned. "Just something I picked up…"

"Well, we've all had a long day. We cleaned the kitchen. There's plenty of food for tomorrow. And Jim, call if you need help." Catherine was patting his shoulder as she talked.

Jim thanked them all and hugged Catherine and Lindsey. He shook everyone's hands as they exited. When Gil walked by, Jim looked at him squarely. "I really owe you….thanks."

"You're the one we ought to be thanking Jim. You somehow managed to salvage something good out of that mess. We owe you for showing us how."

Once they were all gone, the house was quiet. Jim poured himself a scotch and sat in front of the tree. As he sipped and watched the lights, he thought about Christmas's past. This year certainly was filled with the Christmas spirit, despite the horror earlier….or maybe because of it.

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Really do appreciate all the comments so far! I think maybe one, maybe two more chapters... Oh, if only my Christmas stocking were filled with reviews. How wonderful that would be!


	4. Chapter 4

Jim woke up on Christmas morning with the feeling that he was not alone. As soon as he moved, he knew his feeling was correct. A small, warm body was snuggled against him. For the life of him, he couldn't remember her crawling in the bed but there she was. He sighed with relief that he had thought to wear his flannel pants and a tee shirt to bed, just in case she woke him up in the middle of the night.

He was deciding how best to proceed when he saw her big blue eyes watching him. "Good morning," he smiled. "Merry Christmas." A huge grin broke out on her face. She sat up, still watching him. "Honey, why did you come in here? "

Her lower lip slid out and her face became sad. "I had a bad dream. I cried for you but you didn't come for me."

"I didn't hear you. I'm sorry sweetheart..." Jim was trying to be careful to not upset her any further. He just wasn't used to having a little one around. He'd forgotten so much about how to deal with them. Then he remembered the Scotch before bed….no more of that, he thought. "It's okay. Do you remember your dream?"

""The bad man was there…and then I woke up and there was a lion in the house." Her eyes were so sad…so serious. "And then I cried for you but then I came to find you."

"A lion in the house?" Jim was trying to think what could have made her imagine a lion.

"Uh-huh…he was growling. But then you growled at him and he went away."

Suddenly Jim realized what had happened. She had heard him snoring, he chuckled to himself. Her climbing into bed must have made him roll over, probably eliciting one last 'growl' and then quieting the snores. "Honey, that wasn't a lion. It was me, snoring. Sometimes grown ups make funny noises at night and snoring is one of them."

"Do I make funny noises?" She grinned.

"No, you sleep like the little angel that you are," he said tenderly. "Look, why don't we get up and brush our teeth and then go see what Santa left under the tree?"

She started bouncing in the bed and then jumped out to run to the bathroom. At that moment, Jim thought, she was like every other little child in the country; excited about Santa.

They went into the living room and she dove into the presents under the tree. Jim got a kick out of just watching her. The manager from Walmart had been sure to include a variety of things that a little girl would want. There was a baby doll with all the accessories, a big red Elmo, a little kitchen with plastic food, and the things that seemed to attract the most attention: Dora the Explorer items. Besides the Dora doll, there was Diego and as assortment of related pieces. A Dora lunch set had been included with Dora utensils and a Dora cup. Angie was excited about Dora. She squealed when she opened that package and began jumping. Hugging the doll, she brought it to Jim to see. He admired Dora and marveled at Angie. How could a child that had been so miserable the night before be so happy this morning? But he knew the misery would return. At some point, she'd miss her mother and grow sad again.

After showing Jim everything about Dora, she went back to opening packages. There were several sets of clothes, more pajamas, a jacket with mittens and a scarf, and two pairs of shoes. There were also several coloring books, a huge box of crayons, some finger paints, art paper, construction paper, and play-doh. The kid was ready for any art project, Jim thought as he smiled.

Once she had emptied all the packages, she brought one to him. It had his name on it. "Santa brung you this," she said. He took it, no quite sure what to make of it. She watched eagerly as he opened the box. Inside was a new jacket, very much like the one that had been soaked in blood the night before. "Now, how did they know…." He glanced at Angie quickly, hoping she hadn't picked up on his slip. She thought Santa had brought everything. He didn't want that taken away from her too.

Angie was rubbing the jacket. "Does it fit?" she asked.

"Well, I dunno….let's try it on and see." He stood up and slipped it on. "Perfect fit," he smiled. "Santa's good."

Grinning, she looked up at him. "I saw him put it under the tree last night."

"You did," he teased. "It's a good thing you didn't say anything. Santa doesn't like to get caught."

"I know. Mommy told me that he likes to be a secret." Her grin faded as sadness took its place.

Jim sat back down and gathered her in his lap, holding her firmly.

"I miss my Mommy."

"I know you do my little angel. I know."

She burrowed into him more and then tilted her head up to look at him. "But Santa sent you to take care of me."

"Well, honey, I don't know if that was Santa's doing….but I'm glad I found you and that Mrs. Wilson let me bring you home for Christmas. It would be better if you could spend it with your Mommy, but since she's gone to heaven….well, this is turning into a very nice Christmas for me."

"My Jim, can we spend every Christmas together? I want to always be with you." She was looking at him expectantly.

"Well honey, Mrs. Wilson is looking for your family. When she finds them, you'll go live with them. But maybe I can come visit some."

"But I don't want them. I want you." Tears were beginning to slide down her cheeks.

Jim felt tears in his eyes too. "Well, Angel, I want what's best for you. I'm kind of old be raising a little girl. I ….had a little girl years ago and it was hard then. I'm not sure I could do it again, even as special as you are."

"But I want you…" she cried as she pushed further into his embrace. "You can do it; I'll help you."

Jim chuckled at her assurance. "Maybe I could. But your family will want to take care of you and that's how it should be. You'll see it will be fine. And like I said, maybe I can come visit."

She didn't say anything else but as her tiny arms attempted to wrap around him, he knew she wasn't satisfied with his response. He knew that he had to be honest with her though. Lying to her now would only hurt her later. The time would come when she would have to go with her family and she needed to understand that and be ready for it.

"Hey Angel, let's get a trash bag and clean up all the wrappings. Then you'll have room to play. I'll fix us some breakfast too."

Angela hopped off his lap and began to gather the paper. He went to the kitchen and returned with a couple of trash bags. They stuffed both bags and he set them beside the back door to be taken out later. He watched as she settled on the floor to play with Dora. The he made his way to the kitchen. Santa had stuffed his pantry too, he noticed.

Jim was busy with pancakes and eggs when Angie padded in and slipped into one of the chairs at the table. She looked at him nervously before putting one of the coloring books on the table. Her giant box of crayons landed next. Then she lifted herself to her knees to be able to see and reach it all. She colored while he cooked, her eyes searching for him every few minutes as if she was afraid he might disappear.

After breakfast, he cleaned the kitchen while she continued to color. Then he suggested that they clean up and get dressed. "You have several pretty new outfits to choose from," he said.

She chose one and found some panties to wear in the bottom of one of the boxes. He led her to the bathroom. "I think we could both use a bath," he said. You get first dibs on the hot water…" He reached over and stopped the drain and then turned on the water, careful that it not get too hot. Then he got a towel and washcloth for her to use. "Now, honey, can you wash yourself? I'll be just in the hall if you need me, okay?"

She nodded and he walked out into the hall. He left the door slightly ajar so he could hear if she needed help but he thought it best that he not be in the room with her…after all, she wasn't his kid.

He heard her moving around and then getting into the tub. There was splashing and swishing and then quiet. He heard the thump as she opened the drain and more splashing as she climbed out of the tub. A few minutes later, she emerged, fresh and clean with her new outfit on…backwards. "Ah….honey, did you look in the mirror when you were dressing?"

Looking at him with big blue eyes, she nodded negatively.

"Well, you did a nice job….except everything is backwards."

Sliding out of her clothes in the middle of the hallway, she proceeded to redress herself.

"Well, so much for modesty," Jim chuckled.

Once she was finished, he headed for his room. "Okay, my turn." Gathering underclothes from his drawers and then a shirt and pants from his closet, he headed for his bathroom. She slid inside the bedroom door and stood there. "It's okay, Angel. I can wash myself."

"Okay," she said quietly as she slid down to sit on the floor.

"Don't you want to go play with your new toys?" he asked.

Sadly she turned and crawled out of the room, hoping to her feet and running down the hall. Jim wasn't sure what that was about but he decided it could wait. Stepping into his bathroom, he headed for his shower.

Stepping out from the bathroom, feeling fresh and awake, he spotted her on his bed hugging Elmo fiercely. Tears were rolling down her cheeks. "Angel, what's wrong?" he asked with concern.

"You were gone from me," she cried.

"I was just in the bathroom…."

"But I couldn't see you…." Her sadness was breaking his heart.

"Could you hear me?" he asked.

"Uh-huh…."

"Then you knew I was close, right?"

"Uh-huh."

"Sometimes, baby, that's all you need. When you can't see me, just listen. If you can hear me, then you know I'm close. Because you know, sometimes we have to be in different rooms…." She nodded in agreement but he wasn't sure if she really accepted it.

"Okay, well, let's go in the other room now. You can play with your toys some more, okay?"

She slid off the bed and headed down the hall, stopping to see if he was following. Jim quickly gathered wet towels as they went and darted into the kitchen to toss them in the laundry room. She stood in the doorway, watching his every move. Then they settled in the living room. She played with her new toys and he checked channels to see who was playing football on Christmas Day.

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How amI doing? You know how much I like reviews, lol. But I am at a crossrowads...does a member of her family come to take her or does she end up a true orphan and Jim has to decide whether or not to take her?


	5. Chapter 5

Angela had been with Jim a week and they had settled into a routine of sorts. Every night he tenderly put her to bed in the guest room, surrounded by Dora and Elmo. And every morning he woke up with a small warm body snuggled against him. He never heard her crawl into his bed and since he wasn't drinking any Scotch these days, he couldn't blame that. She was simply very stealth in her movements. The second morning she actually woke up before he did. He was awakened by an angel's breath whispering his name into his ear. The next morning, he woke up before she did and stayed very still and quiet until she began to stir. When she leaned in to whisper again, he launched a tickle attack that had now become tradition. Every morning, she would gingerly lean in, knowing what was coming, and delighting in anticipation. She would whisper his name and the tickling would begin. She would fall down in a fit of giggles until she could stand no more and curl into a little ball.

It was on the fourth morning that she mumbled from her ball, "I love you, My Jim. I love you really big."

"I love you too, honey. But you don't love big. When it comes to loving someone, it's all or nothing."

She uncurled and sat up, looking into his face earnestly. Her eyes were huge as she stated matter of factly, "then I love you all."

Jim hugged her tightly, bittersweet tears forming in his eyes. He loved her 'all' too. But he knew that soon she would be gone from his life. Mrs. Wilson had called twice to check on her and also to tell him that they had a couple of leads on family. It was a matter of time before someone would come to claim her and Jim would be alone again.

In a way, his time with Angie was proving to be cathartic. It reminded him of the good times with Ellie and that he had been a good father to her until their lives had unraveled. After everything fell apart, he had done his best just to stay in one piece. Angie, his angel, reminded him that he could have continued to be a good father if things had been different….if only…." While thinking of those times made him sad, it also made him cherish this time with Angie even more. He had been given a gift, he realized, and he intended to make the most of it.

Every day was a new adventure. He took her to every kid oriented thing he could think of to so in Vegas. "I'm acting like a 'Disneyland Dad," he told Catherine one afternoon when she stopped by. "I know it's wrong, but I can't seem to help myself."

Catherine chuckled at him. "It's okay, Jim. She deserves a little happiness. But you are making it awfully tough for whoever takes her. How can they possibly live up to the standard you are setting?"

Jim had admitted he was making it tough and also that he'd let that be their problem. For now, he was having a blast. Again Catherine chuckled at him, "well, it's going to be hard to take you so seriously in the interrogation room from now on after seeing you and Angie in a tickle session."

Jim smirked. "Yeah, well…maybe I should just try to tickle confessions out of the bad guys from now on …."

One by one the others stopped in too. Doc Robbins brought one of his granddaughters to play for a little while. "Thought you could use a break as the number 1 playmate," he'd said.

"Thanks Doc, Sanders came by and gave me a break too. Turns out he and Angie are on the same level…."

Nick and Warrick stopped by with the brand new Shrek video and they'd popped popcorn and all four watched the movie. Jim was convinced that the adults enjoyed it more than Angie did.

After Gil heard about the movie, he stopped by with a copy of Antz. Jim was even surer that Grissom enjoyed the move the most. But all the visits were good for Angie. She was beginning to warm up to other people. Jim was worried that she was getting way too dependent on him and was glad to see her responding to others.

After talking to Mrs. Wilson again, Jim called and cleared some leave with the Sheriff. He would take one more week off. Then, even if Angie's family hadn't turned up, he would have to go back to work. Catherine helped him think through the details of finding a suitable sitter and he felt prepared.

Three days before he was to return to work, Mrs. Wilson called and asked if she could stop by. Thirty minutes later, she was knocking at his door. They sat in the living room. Jim tried to encourage Angie to play in her room, but she wouldn't leave. She remembered Mrs. Wilson and that the woman had tried to take her away from him. The tension in the child was palpable and finally Mrs. Wilson suggested that she could stay.

"We've located her grandmother and an uncle," said Mrs. Wilson. "The grandmother is in poor health and the uncle is in drug rehab. The grandmother knows of no other family on either side of the family. Apparently, her father was a product of the system and had lost touch with his family years ago."

"Wow….so now what?"

"Well, actually, Angie was in the system once before. Her mother moved here from Oklahoma. She had some minor drug offenses there and spent some time in jail. Angie was put into the system there until the mother was released and had tested clean. They moved to Vegas about six months ago."

Jim looked from her to his little angel. Life had been harsh for the little girl, more than any child should have to bear. "So, you're telling me she goes back into the system?" His heart was breaking. Too many kids had come out of the system and crossed his path. He never wanted to see her face on a police blotter.

Mrs. Wilson chose her words carefully. "Well, if we were able to find someone suitable to adopt her…."

Jim stared at her. "Adopt? Not foster?"

"If she were fostered, she would still be a part of the system. There would be no guarantee that she would remain in the same home until she was eighteen. With adoption, the states interest ends when the adoption is complete. It would be a more permanent solution."

Jim's mind was spinning. "What is required to be suitable?"

"Ideally, a married couple in their twenties or thirties, possibly early forties, with a steady income and plenty of family resources. Clean record and good character. But we seldom get ideal. The boundaries get bent all the time. Heavier emphasis falls to good character and steady income….security for the child." Her expression told him that she hoped he was getting her hint.

"But I, um….I'm more the age of a grandfather than a father of a three year old."

"There are many grandparents raising their grandchildren. Judges are aware of that. I will caution you; at your age and with your job, you will need a support system and back up in case anything happens to you."

"You mean…like a Mrs. Brass?"

"Not necessarily. But someone who is willing to take her …someone she is well acquainted with."

Glancing back at the object of their discussion, he fell deep into thought. Finally he looked at Mrs. Wilson, "I have to think this through…I mean, I've been on my own for a long time now. This is a big step…."

"Well, I can stall things for a few days but then she'll have to be placed in a more permanent situation, unless of course, you….."

"I understand," he sighed. Nodding he assured her, "I'll call you in a couple of days."

Mrs. Wilson left and Jim watched as Angie visibly relaxed. He had a lot to think about. This wasn't going to be easy, no matter what he decided.

Angie left her toys and walked over to Jim. Crawling into his lap, she hugged him. "My Jim," she said quietly and he, without a doubt, knew what he had to do.

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All of your reviews and comments are greatly appreciated. I really, really enjoy reviews and Christmas is coming. Maybe I'll find some more under my tree:-)


	6. Chapter 6

Jim's first thought as a possible person to raise Angela if something were to happen to him was Catherine. After all, she had raised one child; she would know how to do it. Catherine said she would give it some thought, but asked him if he had considered Grissom. Somehow Jim couldn't picture Grissom raising a kid. He was a great mentor to the younger CSIs and Jim trusted him with his life, but……no, probably not the best choice, Jim decided.

He also thought of Sofia Curtis. She also agreed to give it some thought but then asked him why he was only asking women. Jim didn't have a good answer for that. So he began to think of the men he knew and that he would trust with his little angel. Doc would be great except he had his own brood. Warrick….he was having too many problems lately. Angie and Greg Sanders got along great, but he wanted a more mature hand guiding her. Nick Stokes came to mind…yeah, he'd be a good father for Angie if Jim was taken out of the picture. Nick was hesitant but then said he'd give it some thought too.

Jim called Mrs. Wilson to let her know that he did want to try to adopt Angela. She seemed genuinely happy with his decision. There would be mountains of paper work and home inspections, court inquiries and appearances, and if all went well, the adoption should take about a year. Jim began to wonder what he was getting himself into.

Meanwhile, he was growing more and more attached to Angie. CPS gave temporary approval for her to stay with him until the court could look at his application and begin the process of adoption. With Catherine's help, he found a babysitter. She had been preschool teacher and raised three children of her own, so Jim felt comfortable that she was competent. Her first day was short. She came to stay with Angie for the afternoon while Jim went out, just to give Angie a chance to get used to him being gone.

After an hour, Jim couldn't stand it and sent Catherine to spy for him. She 'dropped by' for a visit and spent a few minutes with her. Then she called Jim. "Really Jim, she's fine. Linda has her baking cookies. She said Angie cried for a little while at first but then they decided to bake some cookies to surprise you with when you get home and Angie's been happy since then."

"Really," he responded, happily. "I kinda had this feeling about Linda….thought she might be good for the kid."

"Look Jim, Linda Ayers has a wonderful reputation. You're lucky to have her. Now you need to trust her to handle things."

"Yeah, I know….it's just that…."

"Right, nobody's good enough for your angel…." Catherine chuckled into the phone. "Well, why don't you go enjoy the rest of your afternoon and be sure to be surprised when Angie has cookies for you."

"Yeah, and thanks Catherine. I owe you one."

The next day, Jim went back to work. He started on the day shift but would switch back to grave the following week. Linda had already agreed to stay the nights with Angie and also be there when Jim had to pull a double. Basically, she would be there whenever Jim wasn't.

Oddly, it was Gil Grissom that pointed out the flaw in his plan. "When are you going to sleep, Jim?"

Jim stared at him, stunned. "I, um….hadn't gotten to that yet," he replied.

That evening he had a long chat with Linda. Essentially she would become a live in Nanny. Jim's days off would be her days off. The next night, he began converting his office into a room for the nanny. She moved in two days later.

"This is getting weirder all the time," he told Grissom. "Now I have this mother figure living under my roof but she's really more like my sister's age. Only she's not my sister."

"You afraid she might get the wrong impression or something?" Grissom asked.

"No, I think we are pretty clear. It's just…well, after being on my own for so long and now there are these other people living in my house…."

"Yeah," drawled Grissom, his brow furrowing. "Don't think I could do it."

"Yeah," smirked Jim, thinking he was right to not ask Grissom about being his back up.

Everyone began to notice the subtle changes in Jim. He smiled more often and was looking less weary. There was more spring in his step and his sense of humor was becoming less biting. In short, Jim Brass was a happy man and it showed.

Angie was adjusting to Linda. She still cried when Jim left for work, but the tears dried sooner and she was making it through the night in her own bed. Jim had tried to explain to her that she was going to be his little girl, but he knew she didn't really understand what was happening. In her young mind, he was her Jim and nothing else seemed possible. Once he had heard that she had been separated from her mother before, he better understood how quickly she seemed to recover from her mother being gone. Her constant watch on Jim was the one big clue to her separation anxiety. Consequently, he set up an appointment with a counselor.

The counselor, Dr. Hastings, talked with the two of them together and then with Angie alone. Then he talked with Jim. "You are right to be concerned with her extreme dependence on you, but I believe with time things will improve. She has had a lot of insecurity in her young life. She seems to understand that her mother isn't coming back this time. She sees security in you, Mr. Brass. And she desperately needs that security. I understand you are trying to adopt her?"

"Yes. I realize I'm not the ideal candidate, but since there is no family that can take her and she seems attached to me…."

"I hesitate to define the 'ideal candidate," said the doctor. "But in Angela's case, I believe you are. To put her through another separation now would be detrimental, I think. But it is important that you find ways to surround her with others who care for her also. As her world becomes more secure, I think you'll see some changes in her."

"Well, the members of the team that was investigating that night….they have taken a real interest in her. They come around a lot. I consider them good friends. And I've hired a nanny who has lots of experience with children. They seem to get along well together. My job …well, sometimes the hours are pretty bad, but then I go straight home so I can spend as much time with her as possible."

"That's good for now. But raising a little one can be taxing, Mr. Brass. And your job is very demanding. Be sure that you make time for yourself as well. Otherwise the day will come when you have nothing left for Angie."

"Yeah…that I understand." Bitterness crept into his voice as he spoke.

"I'd like the two of you to come back periodically, just to be sure that she's moving along and adjusting. And Mr. Brass, if I can be of any help in the adoption process, please call me. I believe it is in her best interest to stay with you."

"Thank you. And I appreciate your advice. I…um, well it's been a long time since I had a little one around."

"I'm happy to help. Her immediate attachment to you speaks volumes. Small children, especially ones who have been through what she's been through, generally are very shy and don't attach quickly."

The visit with the counselor made Jim even more determined to adopt his little angel. He hired an attorney to help them through the steps. Finally the court granted him temporary custody and the investigation into his life began. As they dug into his past, he became more and more nervous. But his lawyer kept assuring him that things would be okay.

Step by step they proceeded through the process. Months passed. Angie became more comfortable with him going to work and he even began to follow the counselor's advice and would take some time for himself occasionally. Linda was proving to be a gem. She did minor household chores that involved caring for Angie, never complained about the crazy hours, helped Jim with reading Angie's moods and actions, and became a key member of the household. "She's almost the perfect wife," Jim chuckled as he explained to Catherine. "Except that she doesn't max out the credit card, whine, or nag."

Catherine shot him a questioning look, "so is there something going on there?"

He chuckled. "No, it'd be like kissing my sister or something. Besides, I don't have any feelings for her in that way. Maybe one day I'll find someone," he shrugged. It occurred to him that his life was feeling pretty full without a Mrs. in the picture.

Slowly Angie began to be more comfortable with Jim being away from her. She didn't always need to be in the same room with him anymore either, but she still stayed close by whenever he was home. Their morning wake up ritual had changed when he went back to work. Now, when she heard his alarm, she would scamper into his room and whisper to him to wake up then fall into a fit of giggles as he tickled her. She was learning to fight back, however and had discovered that Jim was ticklish too. Occasionally he let her 'win' the battle.

The adoption was agonizingly slow at times but they kept moving forward. Finally, almost exactly a year later, on December 23 rd, Angie officially became Jim's daughter. Jim threw a big party and invited the Christmas angels from the year before. Linda was there too of course. The party was in full swing when Al Robbins asked Angie what she wanted for Christmas. Looking across the room at her father, she smiled at Doc and answered quickly. "My Jim…he's my daddy forever." She climbed off the couch and ran across the room, bouncing into her father's arms. It was pretty obvious to everyone in the room that Jim had gotten his Christmas wish too.

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I hope you enjoyed my little Christmas tale. More than that I wish you all a Merry Christmas. Thanks for reading. And many thanks for the reviews and encouragement.


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